Judicial system

Last week the US National Institutes of Health ( NIH) issued an report titled, “Interim Report: Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) working group.” The report has extensively examined President Barack Obama’s brain project, which mentions the need to develop electromagnetic modulation as a new technology for brain circuit manipulation. In the meantime, the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young female activist, Ms. Sahib Khatoon was allegedly brutally murdered by her husband while returning home from her job in a NGO. She was forced to marry her cousin and neither of them were happy with the arrangement. The marriage ended in […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has in a number of recent appeals and statements (AHRC-UAC-105-2013, AHRC-UAC-101-2013, AHRC-STM-108-2013) pointed to the persistent pursuit and prosecution by the police and local authorities in Burma, or Myanmar, of human rights defenders under draconian legislation old and new. Despite the country’s continued progress away from its overtly dictatorial past, it is […]

The AHRC urges the government of Pakistan to carry out a high powered inquiry into the killings of Christians by a commission of experts rather than the police The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the two deadly suicide attacks on the All Saints Church in Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkha province […]

The brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Lahore last week has literally shocked the country, from the officials in the highest office down to the ordinary citizen in the street. The tragic incident has sparked a nationwide debate and outcry against the lack of a safety mechanism in the country for women and children. […]

Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, a program partner of the International Civil society Action Network  Tel: 1 212 729 1062  355 Lexington Avenue, 3rd Floor New York 10017 USA  www.gnwp.org A Petition Campaign in Support for Dialogue, Humanitarian Action and Ceasefire WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PEACE ADVOCATES, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS, SERIOUSLY APPEAL IN […]

In the name of peace, for the sake of humanity and in behalf of the innocent civilians who are again bearing the brunt of violence and atrocities, I am appealing to Chairman Nur Misuari and all my brothers in the Moro National Liberation Front to release the hostages and withdraw immediately and unconditionally from the […]

The Guardian reported on September 11 that Lord Carlisle has argued for an inspectorate of judges which could deal with problems before they lead to complaints. Meanwhile new regulations dealing with complaints against judges come into force at the beginning of next month.  The new regulations come on the basis of the Constitutional Reform Act […]

Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan continue to be persecuted, prosecuted, humiliated, harassed, tortured and subjected to target killings. In the very recent past hundreds of Ahmadis have been murdered for their faith and belief and this horrifying brutality continues under the very eyes of the Government who take no notice or action and blatantly allow the […]

As revealed by our recently published 2012/13 Annual Review, Sri Lanka surged ahead to become the top country of origin for those referred to Freedom from Torture for clinical services in 2012. Of 1,301 people referred to us for torture rehabilitation and forensic documentation services in 2012, 228 were of Sri Lankan nationality. The vast majority […]

Sunila Abeysekera passed away yesterday in Colombo. Born in 1952 she stood for the liberal values of equality, liberty and human rights at a very dark period in her country. By 1962, at the age of ten, a section of the country’s elite attempted a military coup. This coup symbolised the disillusionment of an important […]

We are forwarding this appeal made on behalf of Ravaya Publication To All Friends, Standing up for media freedom and independence in Sri Lanka Dear colleagues and friends, As you know by now, we as a group have been for the past two months campaigning to raise 20 million SL rupees (US $ 154,000 apprx.) […]

Download the full text of the report ( PDF) (Word) In her media statement from Colombo on 31 August 2013, Dr. Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, “I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant, all-embracing state, […]

We need to define the concepts of multiculturalism, uniculturalism and monoculturalism before entering into a debate on their application, practice and future direction in Sri Lanka. Multiculturalism refers to that trend in the society where the different cultures are made inclusive, tolerated and accommodated, and these trends are institutionalised in legislation to respect other cultures. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the continued and arbitrary detention of Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan Secretary of Odhikar. The AHRC has learned that the government has introduced new allegations against Mr. Nasiruddin Elan, the Director of Odhikar, in an attempt to detain Elan as well, so as to absolutely cripple the functioning of the […]

(Hong Kong, September 6, 2013) Sylvia Patricia Sarmiento, daughter of torture victim Aristedes Sarmiento, writes about her father, and how she and her family, have struggled because of her father’s torture and repeated arrest and detention on false charges. She wrote this in an article which she shared with the Asian Human Rights Commission. Sylvia, […]

Peoples’ Rights Forum, Assam and groups working on the Right to Food are relieved that the Government of India, after dragging its feet for over four years since 2009 when it announced its intention to legislate a right to food, finally ensured the passage of the National Food Security Act. This Bill has been brought forward […]

After nine years of trial, on September 3 Stella Estremera, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Davao; and Antonio Ajero, the newspaper’s former publisher, were convicted by a local court in Digos City for a criminal case of libel. They were convicted based on the complaint of Baguio Saripada, a former city government employee, after his name was […]

We wish to share the following Fact Finding Report conducted by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch to ascertain facts in the case of alleged rape and murder of Dalit girl in Jind district of Haryana, India.   A Fact Finding report by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission All […]

A delegation of the Friday Forum met recently with the Commissioner of Elections Mr Mahinda Deshapriya with a view to initiating a constructive exchange of views on measures taken by him to ensure free and fair provincial elections.  Mr. Deshapriya emphasised the responsibilities of the public and the voters in these elections to be vigilant […]